The List
by TimsQuerida
Summary: There's a difference between love and lust, so says Gabriella's mom. Now Gabi has a list and Troy must get an acceptable score to show that he wants more than just sex. But what happens when The List isn't most important anymore?
1. PrologueSummary

Hola everyone! This is my first High School Musical fanfic. Please read and review. Review even if you hate it but flames are really unneccassary... Anyhoo...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot of this story.

Below is only a prologue/summary so please tell me if you like it or not and if I should continue. Thanks.

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My mom always told me to watch out for guys who are in a relationship for sex instead of love. Therefore, I came up with 'The List'. 'The List' has many factors. It has the personality factor, the physical features factor, which isn't the biggest part, and the factor that all guys need a perfect score on- the love factor. I had three boyfriends in my past, all but one turned out to be scum. My mother was right saying that all they wanted was sex. The other one was gay. My fourth boyfriend is Troy Bolton. There's something different about him, but my expectations are going to remain the same as they were with my other boyfriends. How he's dating me, I'm not exactly sure but all I need to know is, is Troy Bolton "the one"? 


	2. I've Got What It Takes

Hey everyone! This is a full chapter. The crowd goes wild Anyhoo, please read and review and you'll make me very happy. It will very much encourage me to continue the story. : )

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot of this story.

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Troy Bolton gets anything and everything he wants. So, why did he choose me? I'm mainly known as the brainiac and nerd of the school. He could get any slutty girl but he chose me. Since my dad left us for his 'mistress' when I was 8, I learned that not everyone can be trusted. I never used to doubt but ever since he chose the other woman, I've felt as if love is just a word meaning nothing but lust means everything to a male mind. I'm not going to fall into that trap though. A few basic steps, and I'll see what Troy Bolton really wants.

It was the second week of school and I was walking to the lunchroom. I saw Troy sitting across from Chad. We're not exactly the couple that everyone sees everyday so I decided that this was going to be his first test. I started walking towards Taylor's table making sure to get Troy to see me.

"Gabi! Over here." Troy yelled over the racket of the cafeteria, although as soon as those words left his mouth, it seemed as if the cafeteria was suddenly slightly less noisy. I smiled at him and walked over to the table he was sitting at.

_Test 1 of Personality Factor: Check_

I sat down and he put an arm around my waist. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and noticed Chad eyeing his donut. He looked at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Aha, you're here. I have this theory that I have got to tell you about. So, my mommy" Troy stifled a giggle, "always said that donuts were brain food so I would eat my broccolli. I'm thinking that she's been lying to me all these years. So anyways, my theory. I think that the hole in the donut is a sign telling you to not eat it or else that hole in the donut will be like the hole in your brain. What do you think, Gabs?" Chad asked.

"Uh... it's definitely well thought out. If your theory is correct, I'd say to lay off the donuts Chad." I responded to his strange, strange theory.

I looked away from Chad and his donut examining self and looked into Troy's beautiful blue eyes. No wonder so many girls were into him. His eyes made him look so much different. But then again, it could have simply been the fact that he has a six pack is very, VERY gorgeous.

"So, I was thinking..." Troy started but Chad interrupted,

"Why? We never think."

"Let me rephrase that. _You_ never think, Chad." Troy looked back at me and continued with what he was saying. "You want to go out with me tonight?"

I smiled at his nervousness. He looked so scared of rejection and wasn't afraid to let it show that he had flaws. He didn't always have his 'Wildcat' confidence. This was definitely part of my list of the personality factor.

_Test 2 of Personality Factor: Check_

"Troy. You shouldn't be so nervous around me. Of course I'll go out with you tonight." I replied. He blushed and answered,

"That's cool. I'll pick you up at 7. Okay?"

"Of course, Wildcat." I answered. "I should probably go now. Taylor's probably mad at me since I ditched her. I'll see you later. Bye." Chad's head shot up when I said Taylor.

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away from their table. I didn't see Taylor in the cafeteria so I figured she went to the library where she always goes when she's not eating lunch. Troy and Chad started talking.

"So, it seems like you have a little crush on Miss McKessie, Mr Danforth." Troy started.

"Puh-lease, why would I like that nerd... Mr. Bolton." Chad answered.

"Hey! Gabi is friends with that 'nerd' as you say it."

"So what? Gabi's a nerd too. I mean, dude. You could have any other girl in the school. You could hardly even get this one and you want her."

"That's exactly why, Chad! She's different from every other girl I've known. I like that about her." Troy thought about the day he actually had the courage to ask her out.

_Flashback in Nobody's POV_

_Troy was walking down the hallway towards Gabriella's locker. Today was the day he would ask her out. He had a huge crush on her ever since they met but they were only 'friends'. Troy wanted more than that. He leaned by her locker and started talking,_

_"Hey Gabi." _

_"Oh, hey Troy. What's up?" Gabriella said._

_"Uh, not much. Listen, I was wondering if you'd want to go out with me tonight." Troy finally said. Gabriella sighed and hugged her binder to her chest and closed her locker. She sighed once more and said,_

_"Troy, you're a great guy but I really don't want to mess up our friendship. I'm sorry."_

_"It's cool." Although it really wasn't. "How about we go out anyways. Just two friends hanging out." Troy suggested._

_"That sounds cool. I'll see you later. Bye Troy." With that, Gabriella walked away leaving Troy thinking what he could do to get her to go out with her. Little did he know, Gabriella was mentally killing herself for saying no. It wasn't that she didn't like Troy. She had a terrible problem with trust and it was as if this problem was never going to go away._

_Flashback Ending- Back to Gabriela's POV_

"Hey Troy!" Chad was waving a hand in front of Troy's face.

"Sorry man. Must have dozed off or something." Troy said.

"More like spazzed out." Chad muttered under his breath.

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I walked to the library and saw Taylor sitting at the one of the tables reading Pride and Prejudice. I sat down next to her and put an apple on the table. I began talking,

"Sorry I ditched you. I was talking to Troy and Chad." As soon as I said Chad, Taylor's head shot up just like Chad's had when I mentioned Taylor's name. "I brought you an apple though." I smiled sweetly at her.

She smiled back and said, "It's fine, really. I have this major book report due soon, and I haven't even finished the book. I can't really talk right now." I sighed and stood up.

"Okay, I'll leave even if it means I can't tell you some gossip about Chaddy dearest." I said while leaving.

"Hold it right there, missy! Get your tiny butt back here!" Taylor yelled. The librarian told us to be quiet or we would get kicked out of the library. I walked back to the table and sat down.

"Well... from my sources..." Taylor interrupted.

"Gabs, you have no sources, no offense."

"Would you like me to tell you what I heard or not?"

"Forget I said anything. Continue."

"It seems to me that Chad has the hots for someone whose name starts with a T and ryhmes with Zeke's last name."

"Oh my gosh! He does!?" Taylor screamed in a whisper tone. She then calmed down collected herself and said, "I mean, why should I care? It's not like he would ask me out. To him, I'm just the nerd who won't let him cheat off my biology tests."

"Number One, Troy and I are going out and I'm a nerd too, you know. Number Two, I wouldn't be so sure of yourself." I said as the bell rang. We both stood up and went to our next class.

**_The periwinkle button that says Submit Review is asking you to Submit A Review._**


	3. AN: Please Read!

**Hola everybody! Yes, this is only an author's note but please do read:**

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**Every chapter is going to have a title. That title is a line from a song from the High School Musical or High School Musical 2 Soundtrack. In a review or private message, you can say which song the line is from and the next chapter will be dedicated to all who get it right. Also, I was on vacation so I wasn't able to write a new chapter but I'm working on it right now and I hope for it to be up tomorrow. In the meantime, review this author's note or private message me if you know which song the line is from (I've got what it takes).**

**Lots of love,  
Bella**


	4. I Know That We Belong

**Hello again! The title of the last chapter was I've Got What It Takes which is from I Don't Dance. The people who got it right were: **_McSpastic_ _HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ROCKS 12a_**, and** _trumpetrulez101_**. Congrats to the winners. This chapter is dedicated to you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot of the story. The song mentioned here is Transparent Lies by Alexz Johnson (Great song!!).**

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_I'll try hard to end all this chaos  
But when you disparage me you betray us  
Said we'd be friends until the end and now I'm crushed  
Tell me why — why ya feel a need to lie_

Troy was walking through the busy hallways and stopped at the music room when he heard this sad melody and lyric. He walked in the door and watched as Kelsi sang and played the piano.

He walked up to her, put an arm around her shoulder and said with a sincere look, "Kels, I've never heard this kind of music from you. It's so sad. You usually write songs that are... not sad. What's wrong?"

Kelsi looked into his blue eyes and started sobbing into his chest, "H-he t-told me that he l-loved me. T-then he cheated on m-me!"

Troy had anger in his eyes. He couldn't believe how uncaring Jason was. How could he break such an innocent heart. He held Kelsi and whispered to her, "If he cheated on you, he doesn't deserve you. You're better than that."

What Troy didn't know was that I was standing at the door watching him comfort Kelsi. This nice stuff wasn't an act. Face it, Troy was a real good guy.

_Test 3 of Personality Factor: Check_

I walked into the room making myself visible and sat next to Kelsi on the piano bench. Kelsi moved her tears from Troy to me and I didn't ask anything. I just let her sob into my arms and I sat there trying to comfort her as much as possible. I was going to kill Jason but it seemed as if Troy was going to cover that part considering the fact he stomped out of the room with a clenched fist. As mad as I was at Jason, Troy was a strong guy. He could literally kill the guy and I couldn't let that happen. I told Kelsi I'd be right back and ran after the fuming Troy.

"Troy! Wait up!" I yelled after him. He stopped suddenly and I caught up with him. He started pacing back and forth muttering curses. I never saw him this mad. "Troy," I said more calmly. "Don't hurt him. He's not even worth it."

"I still can't find the reason why he cheated on her! I thought he knew better than that!"

"Troy," I put my arms on his shoulders to calm him down. "Everyone makes mistakes. Jason's was a real big one but she's going to get over it one day. Worse things can happen."

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "You're a real nice guy, Troy. I'm glad you're mine." I smiled at him and walked away. Troy stood there and slid down the locker.

'Why does Gabriella have to be so right all the time!?' Troy thought. He stood up and walked to the music room to see Kelsi still sitting there playing the piano. He walked over to her and said,

"I still sleep with a night light." Kelsi stopped playing the piano and burst out laughing.

"You're telling me this because?" She asked after she stopped laughing.

"I thought it would put a smile on your face. Guess I was right. Go me." Troy said with a victory smile.

"You're pathetic. Besides, I'm going to be okay. Gabs and I are going to get Ben & Jerry's and watch _A Walk To Remember_, tonight. Ice cream and sad movie always do the trick."

"Have fun, then. See you later."

"Yep, make sure the monsters don't get you when you go to bed." Kelsi teased.

"Ha ha, funny." Troy walked out of the door and bumped straight into me. He apologized and I kept on smiling at him. Any second, I would burst out laughing.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing, sweetheart." I said still smiling.

"Fine, be that way."

We started walking down the hallway towards the door, since school was already over, hand in hand. I started humming to 'Everyday'. It just popped in my head and he smiled at me. Troy pulled me into a kiss and I put my arms around his neck while his hands were firmly on my waist. As he pulled back for air, I giggled.

"I must admit, I didn't see that coming." I said.

"I'm a surprising kind of guy. What are you doing tomorrow night? See, that came out of nowhere too." Troy said while grinning like a little kid.

"You're crazy, Wildcat. Tomorrow night, I'm going to be out on a date I hope."

"I'll pick you up at 7." He leaned down and kissed me one more time before we started walking down the sidewalk again. When we got right by my house, I hugged him and told him I'd see him tomorrow since I was hosting a 'Most Guys Suck' Convention with Kelsi tonight.

"Make sure you don't forget to turn on that night light!" I winked at him and closed the door before he could come in.


	5. This Is Not What I Planned

**Hey peoples! Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I've been busy with school starting up. Tomorrow's also my birthday! Everyone cheers! I'm going to someone else's party though... Anyhoo, here's the chapter. This chapter titled, This Is Not What I Planned. Remember, the titles are also songs from the first movie. That's a hint for you. This chapter is dedicated to:** _manisha (__**anon.**_ _McSpastic_ _paige-leann_e_92, ZacEfronandChrisBrownLover_ _HannahMontanaGilmoreGirlsFan___ **and** _daniwani2369._

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything except the plot of this story. The song is Welcome To My Life by Simple Plan, which I also don't own.**

_No one ever lied straight to your face  
And no one ever stabbed you in the back  
You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay  
Everybody always gave you what you wanted  
You never had to work it was always there  
You don't know what it's like, what it's like_

To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like (what it's like)

And that's exactly how I felt. As if, my world was crashing when I thought it was becoming something.

_To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like  
Welcome to my life  
Welcome to my life  
Welcome to my life_

_"And that was Welcome To My Life from Simple Plan..." _

I turned off the radio and sat on my bed thinking of the past events. You never knew how bad the ghosts of your past could be, until they caught up to you.

_Flashback- Gabriella's POV_

_I was sitting on the couch eating my Half Baked ice cream while crying from A Walk To Remember. Kelsi sat right next to me hugging a pillow while eating her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream and crying. If anyone knew about multi-tasking, Kelsi was the best at it._

_"Ugh! Jason is the total opposite of Landon. Landon's a jerk turned nice and Jason's a nice guy turned jerk!" Kelsi took another big scoop of her ice cream._

_"Let it out, sista. Just let it all out!" I exclaimed trying to get her to forget about Jason. I thought about Troy and what would happen if he cheated on me but my thoughts were interrupted when the doorbell rang. I got up to answer it, and when I opened the door my jaw dropped._

_"Oh my gosh."_

I looked at the wall right in front of me. It was a blank and simple beige colored wall. At that very moment, that wall resembled my emotions. I could have been feeling a million things... hurt, anger, sadness, pain... but nothing. I felt nothing at all. I was emotionless.

_Flashback- Gabriella's POV_

_"Miss me?" The deep voice belonging to a tanned man with brown eyes just like mine, dark brown shaggy hair said._

_"What the hell are you doing here!?" I screamed at him._

_"I thought I raised you better to curse like that, Gabi."_

_"1- Don't call me Gabi! You lost that privilege when you cheated on mom! And 2- RAISED ME!? You were hardly there, especially when I needed a father! You cannot think that coming back is going to mend our relationship! If you do, then you're highly mistaken!" I screamed frantically. At this point, Kelsi got up see why I was so loud._

_"Hey Montez, what's wrong?" Kelsi asked noticing the man who looked VERY drunk at the moment._

_"Montez?" He asked. "Your mother went back to her maiden name? And you took it too? Why? Is Greene not 'nice enough' for you?"_

_"Gabriella Greene... as soon as you cheated on mom, that name had to go Jeff! And plus, it sounded terrible." I said, adding the last sentence to show how pissed I was at him. Although, he got more pissed at me. Before I knew it, his hand flew across my face making a loud noise. I stood there shocked. His eyes of anger turned into eyes of sorrow._

_"Gabriella! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."_

_"GET OUT!" I pointed with one hand as I used the other to touch my cheek where he just hit me._

_"Gab..."_

_"I SAID GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS HOUSE NOW!!" _

_"I'm sorry." He said before he walked down the porch steps and started walking towards his car. Drunk driving... Smart, Jeff. Really smart._

_I turned around to see Kelsi looking at me with a shocked face. I actually forgot she was there and I just walked back to the living room where we were watching the movie._

_"Jamie saved my life. She taught me everything. About life, hope and the long journey ahead. I'll always miss her. But our love is like the wind. I can't see it, but I can feel it." Landon said in the movie._

_I started crying at this part. My parents were in love. They were ecstatic when I was born but then my dad had to just mess it all up. Kelsi quickly ran into the kitchen and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and ran back. I took it and placed it on my cheek and sobbed into her arm. What did I do to deserve this?_

I touched my hand to my cheek and felt pain rush over me but I chose to ignore it. It was definitely bruised and I couldn't let Troy see this. School was going to start any minute but I wasn't exactly in the mood to learn. I had learned more about life in one night then in an entire year at school.

I walked into the bathroom slowly. I took a look at myself in the mirror. It was swollen and bruised. Jeff had hit me really hard and it definitely showed but I took out some green concealer and put it all over the side of my face. After I was sure it was dry, I put on concealer the same skin tone as me making me look as good as new. I may have looked as good as new, but I wasn't exactly feeling that good. One little thing can change your attitude towards things. This 'one little thing' had caused me to put a halt to a list... for now at least. I need to know that I have somebody's support and not worry if he's perfect or not. I needed to move on and until then, Troy was the most perfect boyfriend I had ever had. The gay one actually wasn't that bad... He definitely knew how to shop.


	6. Fade Away

**Hello everyone! I am so SO sorry about not posting in a while. School has really got me going crazy. This chapter is the longest I have ever written and I'm pretty proud of it. Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to McSpastic, obsessed elf, and marebear11**** who got the song from which the line was from**** It was from Stick ****to****the**** Status Quo, btw.**** This chapter's title is Fade Away so try to guess what song it's from. Have fun! **

**-Bella**

As I walked to school, my pace became smaller and smaller. I felt as if someone was watching me, lurking around in the shadows. I screamed when I felt a hand placed on my right shoulder.

"Whoa, Gabriella. Calm down, it's only me." Troy said and I immediately put my hand to my heart, breathing heavily.

"Sorry, you just scared me." I said.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Just peachy." He kissed me on my left cheek and I flinched.

"Gabi, are you sure you're okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked with a worried expression on his face. I felt grateful that I had a boyfriend who cared but in this situation, I really wished he would stop caring. That's what all of them did anyways.

"Troy, I'm fine. Let's just go." I said as he looked at me again and shook his head. He took my hand in his and we walked to school in silence. We reached homeroom and Kelsi ran over to my side and pushed Troy away.

"Gabriella! Oh my gosh! Are you okay!?" She screamed out loud. Who knew the shy girl could scream… that loud.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Troy asked with a curious look on his face.

"Well, because…"

"It's because I had way too much ice cream yesterday. I got more than a million brain freezes. It's funny I can actually function right now." I interrupted Kelsi.

Troy didn't look too convinced. In fact, he looked more worried than before if that was even possible. I wish everyone would just leave me alone! I'm a big girl. I grew up without a father and I don't need one now. I don't want to relive the moments he came back either.

_Flashback-No one's POV:_

_Gabriella was on her brand new swing set. It was her 10__th__ birthday and she said that all she wanted was a swing set. Her mom didn't disappoint her. Anna Montez was pushing her daughter until all of a sudden a man with black shaggy hair and a goatee stumbled into their backyard._

_"What are you doing here Jeff!? I told you to never come on this property yet you repeatedly do!" Anna screamed. _

_The swing started slowing since Anna was no longer pushing._

_"Maybe-e, I just want to say-y happy-y birthday to my-y daughter." Jeff calmly said. You could definitely tell he was drunk considering the way he was slurring his words._

_The swing started slowing more._

_"She doesn't need you! You've been nothing but a terrible nightmare to her! Just go away!"_

_The swing slowed more but Gabriella was still moving at a steady pace. _

_Jeff got angry. He was angrier than a bull seeing red. He__ ran up to Anna and slapped her with all his strength. His anger turned into sorrow in less than four seconds. Anger was shown again when Gabriella jumped off the swing and bit his leg._

_"Don't hurt mommy!" She screamed._

_Gabriella, being as thin as she was, was immediately picked up__ easily__ and dropped by Jeff. The only thing that Gabriella could hear before everything blacked out was,_

_"You little bitch!"_

_Back to Gabriella's POV_

I felt a tear drop spill from my eyes that have cried way too much. I wiped it before anyone could see it fall, at least I thought so. Troy looked my way and I saw hurt in his eyes. I wasn't sure if it was even more hurt than what showed in my eyes. I knew why he was hurt too. I lied to him, like all the guys that I had dated. He wasn't the bad guy in this relationship, I was. I couldn't tell him though. What was I going to say? _Oh, hey Troy! Just wanted to let you know that my dad's abusive! See ya later_Yeah right…

I half smiled at Kelsi before walking past her and Troy to get to my seat. I knew I had secrets but some secrets were meant to be kept. I may regret this, I thought to myself, but living life in the moment was what I did. My past always came back to haunt me. The least I could do was move on and try to forget about it.

After Ms. Darbus talked about paperclips being an important prop in the theatre, I walked out of the classroom waiting for Troy. When he walked out, I went up to him.

"Hola! Preparda para Espanol?" I said trying to be my old perky self.

"I don't get you, Gabriella." Troy said emotionlessly.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that means Hi, Ready for Spanish?"

"No! That's not what I mean. You're crying one moment, you're being happy the next and I know you're lying to me! Believe it or not, I know you better than you think, Gabs."

"Troy, I'm fine." I said looking at my feet.

"No you're not! You won't even look at me!"

"Some secrets aren't meant to be told, okay!?" I said as I started sobbing.

"Gabi…" Troy said soothingly. "Please tell me what's wrong. I want to help you."

"How the hell do I know that, Troy!? I can't trust anyone! What makes you think I can trust you?"

Troy looked at me and nodded for a reason I wasn't too sure of. He said, "You have to trust someone eventually Gabi. If you don't you're going to miss out on so much." Troy walked away and I fell down. All of a sudden, I felt as if the world was against me.

The bell rang and I knew I was late but I honestly could care less. I didn't need to go to Spanish class. That's why they have translators for. I shook my head, and got up. I couldn't let anyone bring me down. I knew I was strong. That's why I was still here, living. I would have died on my 10th birthday when Jeff pushed me down, all because of the rock that my head hit.

_Flashback: No one's POV_

_"Gabriella!!" Anna screamed as soon as she noticed that her head was hit on the only rock in the backyard. She pushed Jeff out of the backyard and kicked him. Once again, the anger in his eyes __was__ replaced with sorrow. This Jeff guy had some serious issues, dude._

_Anna ran into the house and dialed 911 as fast as she could. She screamed into the phone,_

_"I need an ambulance! NOW!"_

_She ran outside and picked up her daughter's head__. Her hand was covered in blood. Anna screamed of horror and simply continued to hold her head, waiting impatiently for the ambulance to come. When it finally did, she screamed for the paramedics to come to the backyard immediately._

_When they finally got to the hospital, the doctor came out with good news. Anna immediately jumped up. _

_"How is she!?" Anna screamed._

_"She's doing fine. There is no need to worry. Believe it or not, most patients would have been in a coma from the impact on her head but Miss. Montez is a strong girl. She was unconscious but she is awake now. You can visit her if you'd like to." The doctor said._

_"Thank you so much, Dr. Gray."_

_"It's my pleasure."_

_Back to Gabriella's POV_

The bell rang again and I noticed that I was just standing there for the past forty-five minutes. That's how long I was thinking. I walked everyone crowding the hallway. When my eyes met Troy's I felt like I was going to puke, so I ran into the nearest bathroom. Although I did not puke, I washed my face and didn't even bother to look in the mirror. I took two paper towels and patted my face dry. I walked out of the bathroom and of course, bumped into Troy.

"Gabriella! There you are…" Troy drifted off.

"Yeah, I didn't feel too good so I skipped Spanish." I said. Troy continued to stare at me until I asked,

"What, do I have something on my face?"

"Well, yeah." He answered and took his right hand and gently rubbed my left cheek. I didn't flinch this time but I noticed that the bruise that I covered up in the morning was showing.

"Troy…" I started.

"Please tell me." Troy pleaded. He sounded so innocent. I felt like crying again, although I promised myself I wouldn't.

"I-I can't."

"Yes, yes you can. Please, I am so worried about you."

At these words, I crumbled down again. Who knew you could be this emotional, all in one day? I slid down the wall and hid my face in my hands while sobbing. Troy slid down next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. I didn't flinch again. He didn't say anything while I cried. He simply held me until I calmed down. I had to tell him and there was no backing down now.

"My dad's a jerk." I started off. "He cheated on my mom and always came back on my birthday where the only present I would get from him would be a beating. He was always drunk, Troy. Whenever he was drunk he would hit me. I didn't understand why. All I knew was that he was angry."

I looked at Troy and rested my head on his shoulder.

"My mom told me not to trust anyone, you know."

"Why's that?" He asked.

"She says that everyone can hurt you. She says the best way to not have a broken heart is to not trust. I can't trust anyone and I'm sorry, Troy. It's just a habit that I may never get rid of."

"You just did, Gabi. You trusted me with your secret."

"I guess I did…"

"You know, it still doesn't explain why you have a bruise on your cheek right now." I sighed knowing he would ask this.

"My dad came back yesterday. I yelled at him and he hit me."

"I'm sorry." I looked at his beautiful, blue eyes and smiled.

"It's not your fault." I said before kissing him. I knew that I could trust Troy but could I learn to trust anyone else?


	7. Under A Spell

**Okay, I was just so excited to write the next chapter that I had to get it out as soon as possible! First of all, this chapter is ****dedicated to marebear11, Hannah****MontanaGilmoreGirlsFan, Kaistinea, and ESPECIALLY McSpastic. She helped by co-writing for this chapter. The correct answer was Gotta Go My Own Way. Second of all… oh darn. I forgot what I was going to say… Oh well! Enjoy this chapter! Remember, reviews are a girl's best friend! Or at least mine… Anyhoo, enjoy!**

**-Bella**

----------------

A month passed. My dad was nowhere to be found. My bruise healed quickly. People would stare at me, but I would just ignore their comments and try to keep my chin high. Troy couldn't have been any sweeter. He was by my side the whole time and helped me through so much. You may believe that my trust issues have gotten better, but you see, they haven't. In fact, they've gotten worse.

At least that's what I keep hearing behind my back. I think I love Troy. I'm not too sure if he loves me though. He seems to push me away a lot. What have I done though? I never left his side. I was always there for him and he was always there for me. We're perfect together. But, does Troy believe that?

_Flashback: No one's POV:_

_"Troy!" Gabriella yelled over the filled hallways of students wishing to be anywhere besides school._

_"Ugh…" Troy said to himself and closed his locker. When was the__ last time he got any time to himself? Oh yeah, that's right. It was when he was sleeping. He loved Gab__riella, no lie. She had become so clingy, over the past two weeks, though. Something was wrong and everyone knew it._

_"Hey Troysie!" Gabriella said in a very high-pitched voice.__ You'd think she was a cheerleader by the way she giggled and talked now._

_"Hey Gabi." She giggled and kissed Troy on the lips._

_"I thought you weren't a fan of kissing in public." Troy said. Gabriella giggled again._

_"Things change."_

_Yeah, things sure did change…_

_Back to Gabriella's POV_

I was in the hallway looking for Troy, but I couldn't find him anywhere. All I saw was Chad. I approached him and asked, "Where's Troy?" I heard him groan. What was with these boys lately?

"He's at home avoiding you," is what I heard him mumble under his breath.

"What?" This hurt me. I thought Troy was supposed to be there for me.

"Well between school, the coach always on our case about basket ball, and the fact that you're by his side 24/7, Troy hardly has anytime to hang out or relax."

"Oh…" I thought to myself and then smiled. "Whatever. I'll go see him later. Bye Chaddy!"

"Grr…" Chad growled to himself. When people passed by, they chuckled and stared.

"What? Haven't you ever heard a manly man growl!?" Chad screamed and slammed his locker shut.

I heard people whisper things like, "Oh my, Chad has lost it," but Chad seemed to have lost it a long, long time ago...

During lunch I sat down with Taylor. I still didn't see Troy yet and I didn't want to sit with the other jocks. "Taylor, do you know where Troy is today?"

"No, but I do know that you're starting to act like Sharpay." I gave her a confused look and she continued. "You call Troy and Chad Troysie and Chaddy, you're being all hyper and girly, and way too clingy. Girl, you need to learn to trust people without overdoing it."

I looked at her and eventually smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about. Troy said he'd be there for me. He's being there for me when I need him."

"Gabriella, he's there for you every day of every week! Why do you think he's at home ignoring you right now? It's not because he has the flu!"

I felt like crying. "You said you didn't know where he was!"

"He told me to lie if you asked! What happened to you, Gabriella!? You were never this paranoid!"

This time, I actually started crying. "Stop it! You don't know what you're talking about. You're just jealous that Troy actually cares for me while Chad throws spit balls in class!"

Taylor looked at me and I knew I made a mistake that I didn't care much about. "Go to hell, Gabriella." Taylor left the hallway and I felt as if all I needed was Troy.

Everyone I passed that day looked at me strangely.

_'What's wrong with her?'_

_'Looks like Troy got sick of her.'_

_'Well duh, that's why she' walking all alone.'_

_'Oh well, she was becoming a pain anyways.'_

"Everyone, shut up!" I screamed. "Troy did not leave me! He's at home with the flu; go back to your gossiping lives now! Seriously!"

I ran to the empty hallway and I lost my breath. I was having trouble breathing and started gasping for air. This went on for about five minutes and it finally died down. I think I just had a panic attack, but it's their entire fault! Taylor and Chad are criticizing me for supposedly smothering Troy andeverybody is gossiping about me. What did I ever do to them? It's not like I did anything to make them hate me.

---

I was glad that school was over. I decided to take Troy's homework too. This way, I could see him and even help him with the homework. I wanted to get out of the building anyways. Lunch didn't exactly go too well.

_Flashback: No one's POV:_

_Gabriella was walking to the cafeteria. She wasn't too hungry but she wanted to apologize to Taylor. She acted too mean towards her and Taylor didn't deserve that. As she was approaching the table where Taylor, Chad, Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, Sharpay, and Ryan were sitting, they all seemed to give her dirty looks. Before they could speak, Gabriella started talking._

_"Listen, I just wanted to come over here and apologize to Taylor. I'm really sorry, Tay. I just lost it and I don't know what came over me."_

_"Yeah, whatever." Taylor spat._

_"I said I was sorry." Gabriella looked at Taylor pleadingly._

_"I don't care that you made me feel terrible but think about how you're making Troy feel!" She screamed._

_"What is everyone talking about!? Troy is my boyfriend and I would never treat him badly. I love him!" Gabriella screamed back angrily._

_"Then stop following him around everywhere like a love sick teenager that has a crush on a rock star!"_

_Gabriella started tearing up. She wasn't acting this way! Of course she wasn't, she was just being a very good girlfriend. Right?_

_"Screw you, Taylor! I hope you live a horrible life!" Sure, not the best comeback. But, Gabriella was furious.__ Gabriella stormed out of the cafeteria, not looking back._

_Back to Gabriella's POV:_

I walked to Troy's house humming 'Bet On It'. Where did this song come from? It just popped in my head, really. I didn't even bother knocking on Troy's door and walked up to his room. I opened up his bedroom door to find him doing push-ups.

"I thought you were sick!" I screamed way too loud.

"Gabi…" He started.

"Gabi, what!?"

"Listen, I just had to…" Troy started again.

"You lied to me! You jerk! I trusted you and you just lie to me! I hate you!" I interrupted him. "I… I…"

All of a sudden I had a lot of trouble breathing. My hand flew up to my heart. What was happening? All I knew was that Troy was worried by the look on his face and that everything went black.


	8. Anything Can Happen

**Sorry that this chapter took a little longer to get out. I was really busy with school and volunteering in school. I'm fundraising for about four things making me really busy. So, here's the chapter that has been long awaited. Lol. So, the song that last chapter's title was from was Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. Let's see who got it right: marebear11, McSpastic and LaurFoSho. Nice job! This chapter is dedicated to you guys. So, enough of my yapping. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**XOXO BELLA**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -**

You're expecting me to be in the hospital now, right? Wrong. I woke up about 10 minutes later. I was lying on Troy's bed, he was holding my hand, and a cold, wet towel was on my forehead. When he saw my eyes open, he practically jumped up.

"Gabs! You're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I said remembering what happened before. I started to get up but he lightly pushed me down. "Troy, let me go. I have to do my homework and stuff."

"You're not going anywhere except the doctor's office. You fainted and you look a little pale." Troy said sternly.

"You're not my dad!" I screamed and started sobbing. Troy just looked at me and hugged me after I started crying.

"You're right, Gabi. I'm not your dad. But, I am your boyfriend and I love you. Something's wrong and I want to help you." He whispered into my hair calmly.

"I'm fine, Troy!"

"Don't lie to me. I know you better than you think."

"You hardly know me. Now, let me go!" I finally got out of his grip and ran out of his room. He yelled for me to come back but I didn't listen. He betrayed me. How could I trust him anymore?

As I was running I began to feel a sharp pain in my chest. I was accustomed to this by the amount of panic attacks I had but every pain still hurt. I dropped to my knees and finally started breathing. I wasn't so sure why these things kept coming but I knew it had to do with Troy. He was doing this to me! That was an even better reason not to trust that betraying betrayer.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I woke up with a tear stained face. I didn't even bother taking a shower. I was too tired anyways. My hair looked a little stringy but nothing a ponytail couldn't fix. Problem was that I didn't really care about hair at the moment. I took a brush and pat down my hair a little bit. I put on an old t-shirt that said, F Off. It literally had those stars on it. I put an over-sized sweatshirt from Yale on. It smelled just like my mom. I put on black sweat pants and left my house without eating breakfast.

When I entered the school hallways, it seemed like I was their gossip topic of the day. Oh well, a little attention never hurts. Although, this was definitely the bad type of attention. It always seemed as if eyes never left me and that made me feel a little uneasy, but it's not my fault! It's Troy's fault for lying to me, my dad's fault for being a bastard all of my life, and you saw the drama that happened at lunch yesterday. I try to take everything with a grain of salt and try to live life normally, but it feels as if I'm going into a stage of depression and no one will be there to help me out.

Instead of keeping my head up high, I crossed my arms and kept my head down low. I noticed that there was a path right ahead of me. People seemed to be frightened by me or something. They kept their distance which I didn't mind. I passed Taylor and Chad making out. They didn't even notice me. But wasn't that what I wanted? I wanted people to give me my space. If that was what I wanted, how come I desperately wanted for Chad and Taylor to feel sorry for me or to show that they care? I went to the bathroom and washed my face with a wet, hard, and crappy paper towel. I noticed a girl next to me holding a razor.

"Oh my gosh! Don't try to kill yourself! It's not worth it!" I screamed at her.

"What are you talking about?" The girl, dressed in all black, asked.

"The blade! Get it away from your skin, now!"

"I'm not trying to kill myself, smart ass. It relieves my stress, and believe me, there's lots of it." The girl looked at me and eyed me up and down. "You look pretty stressed yourself."

I sighed and nodded. "Life is hell. What else can I say?"

"Your name. I'm Ellie."

"I'm Gabriella."

Ellie started to put the blade to her wrist. I had to stop her.

"Please! Don't do that, at least not right in front of me."

"You're right." She stuck out her arm with the razor blade. "Where are my manners? You can go first."

I looked at her like she had two heads. "I don't cut, Ellie. I would never do that."

She looked back at me. She had big purple eyes that had to be contacts. She has straight, black hair that went just below her shoulders. Her hair had to be red before she died it black because of all the freckles she had on her face.

"Trust me." Ellie said.

Where have I heard those words before?

"It'll make you feel better, Gabriella. Try it." I looked to see if there was no one else in the bathroom. I took the razor blade from her hand. I lifted up my sleeve and let the blade glide over my wrist. I heard someone gasp. I turned around to see Taylor looking at me, shocked. She ran out and I turned pale. I didn't even bother putting my sleeve back down or to get a towel. I ran out after her and, what do you know…

I bumped into Troy. He lifted my arm and saw the blood pouring from the cut. I saw him let a tear fall.

"Gabi?" He said softly.


	9. I Was Alone

**Okay, so not to brag or anything… I'm really proud of this chapter. It took a while but oh well, it's finally here! For the people, who got the title of the song right (The Start of Something New), congrats. I lost my list of those people so this chapter is basically dedicated to EVERYONE who is reading this fanfic. Please read, review, and enjoy.**

**-Bella**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

"Hello, my name is Audrey and I am bulimic."

"Hello Audrey." The group echoed.

_What am I doing here? Two more people…_

"Hi, I'm Jenny and I am bi-polar."

"Hi Jenny." The group echoed once more.

_One more person…_

"Hi, my name is Gary and I slit my wrists." I looked at Gary and, did something I thought I would never do in this _place_. I slightly smiled at him. Everyone said hello.

_My turn…_

"Um, hi. I'm Gabriella and I…" I took a look at everyone else around me. They were all smiling like they couldn't stop. "And I can't wait to get out of here." I laughed.

The group leader, Amy, frowned at me.

"I'm very disappointed, Gabriella."

"And I'm many things but I don't spill my guts on every single thing." I fought back.

"This is a place where you can get everything out without people judging you. Is there anything you'd like to say?" Amy said with a smile. Does this girl ever stop smiling?

"Yeah, I'd like to say something." I stood up. "I hate people who keep trying to get into my business. They have no right whatsoever! Nobody can be trusted and maybe I did cut my wrist but it's not like I did it because I 'had' to. I can stop whenever I want to! I'm done." I sat back down.

"Hi, I'm Gabriella and I… think I have a problem."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Troy was shooting baskets with Chad in his backyard. He wasn't talking and he was missing every shot. What could that mean?

"Troy, you have to talk sooner or later." Chad said.

"I'm scared." Troy answered.

"We all are."

"Not as scared as me!" He threw the ball at the fence and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He sat down on the grass next to the court.

"How could she do that to herself? Did she hate everything that much? Did she hate me?" He whispered the last part and looked down.

"Don't say that Troy. She loved you and you know it. She just has some problems that have to be worked out. Gabriella's a strong girl. If she needs you, she'll come to you."

"She didn't come to me when she was tempted to cut herself!"

"Troy, you are trying hard and that's good but you did all you could. You took her to the group. Now, all you have to do is wait."

"Chad?"

"Yeah?"

"What happens when I've waited too long?" Chad knew that he wasn't talking about Gabriella's problem anymore.

"Then you take action."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Everyone was able to have a private conversation with Amy, the group leader. It was my turn now. I walked into the room. It looked like prison. Amy noticed my discomfort.

"Hello Gabriella." She smiled. "Would you like to go to the garden?"

I nodded and followed her lead. We walked through many doors and went outside. I never saw this garden. It was beautiful. There were pink tulips all put together to make a heart. The rest of the flowers, yellow, red, blue, violet… They all surrounded the heart. I found it amazing. There was a bench right by the flowers. I took a seat on the bench while Amy started watering the plants.

"I love being here." She began. "It's a great escape from that prison inside."

I nodded and fidgeted with my fingers.

"Something's wrong. I know that because of what you did. I'm not judging because nobody judges here. I want to help you, Gabriella." Amy said, looking straight at me.

"Maybe I don't want help." I whispered. I continued to fidget with my fingers.

"Everyone needs a little help once in a while." She said and sat down next to me.

"Help is for people who can't be strong. I don't need help."

"So, that's what it is." Amy said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You don't trust people. You have to do everything by yourself. I don't know why you can't trust people, but I know it has to do with something in your past."

"Are you like a wizard or something?" I looked up at her with shock written all over my face.

"Your boyfriend told me." Amy smiled.

"Oh." I looked back at my fidgeting hands.

"He cares about you a lot, Gabriella. I've never seen a love so strong. You usually see this in movies. Listen to what he's trying to say. You may not agree, but that's because you're trying to defend yourself. You have to let him in. He will stand by you, and I can guarantee you that." Amy said.

"But I can't tr…" I started.

"Trust? You have to take a risk. You're going to miss out on a lot. Do it for yourself. I know you can." Amy interrupted.

"Amy?"

"Yes?"

"Can I go home?"

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"Are you going to do it or not?" Chad asked.

"Chad, I can't. I'm too creeped out." Troy answered.

"You have to do it eventually. What happens when Gabriella and you make up? Celebration?" Chad winked.

"Chad! I can't do it! Let's go home now." Troy stated firmly.

"Fine, but remember, you have to do this eventually."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two days later…

"I think you're ready to go home now, Gabriella. I'm going to trust you not to do anything. I believe in you. You're going to be watched by your boyfriend, though. I know this already." Amy said.

"Thank you so much, Amy! I'll try." I jumped up and ran to my packed bag. I reached for my cell phone and called Troy, immediately. I wasn't mad at him anymore. I understood why he sent me here. He cares about me… a lot.

"Troy!" I screamed joyfully when he answered. "I can go home! Can you pick me up!?"

He answered and I hung up my phone. I ran to Amy and hugged her. She was such a big help to me and I was going to miss her. I ran outside and as soon as Troy came, I jumped on him and hugged him.

"I'm sorry." I whispered while crying.

"Baby, it's okay. I love you, please be Gabriella again." Troy said while running his fingers through my hair.

"I promise."

As we drove home in his car, I hummed to the tune of 'You Are The Music In Me'. I was very happy. Things were going better than expected. I felt like I could return to a normal life again. We drove back to his house and I put my stuff on his couch. We went up to his room and we talked for hours. What we talked about, I'm not too sure. We talked whatever was on our minds.

After a while, we started making out. It wasn't just a make out session, though. At least, that's what I thought. This was getting very hot.

I moaned as Troy's warm hand grazed my revealed back.

"Troy-y-y… make love to me."

He turned red and stood up. He ran his hand through his hair to fix it and sat back down on the bed. I heard him sigh.

"Uh… you don't want to? I thought… you… but I… what?" I stuttered.

"Gabriella, I…" Troy started.

"Do you not want me? Or something?"

"It's not that. It's not that at all."

"Then what is it!?"

"Gabi, I think I might have an STD."


	10. Feels So Right

**Hola everyone! Great to be back. I know I haven't posted in a while but truth is I was going through a writer's block phase. It was terrible! I finally finished this chapter so here it is. The song from the last chapter's was What I've Been Looking For. Congrats to all who got it right: McSpastic and xxxwritergurlxxx. This chappie's dedicated to you. McSpastic, thanks for creating the chain for Troy's STD thing. Everyone else, keep reading to find out what we're talking about. Lol.**

**-Bella**

- - - - - - - - -

_"Do you not want me? Or something?"_

_"It's not that. It's not that at all."_

_"Then what is it!?"_

_"Gabi, I think I might have an STD."_

_- - - - - - - - - - _

"I'm so sorry, Gabi." Troy said while crying.

I sat there in shock. The guy I loved had something that could kill. I cleared my head a bit and sat down next to him.

"It's going to be okay." I said and put my arm around him. "We'll get through this together."

Troy looked at me with hope in his eyes and said, "You're not mad?"

I smiled and said, "I love you too much to be mad." I frowned when he wasn't looking, thinking, _Where__ did__ he get this STD from…_

That night, I didn't cry. I didn't move. I didn't feel. I didn't do anything. I wasn't sure what to do. I wanted to be strong for Troy but it was getting hard to. Especially since I didn't know who he had been doing lately… I want to trust him. I know I can. I just have to try harder. Right? This wasn't about me anymore.

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The next night Troy, Chad, and I decided to hang out. Taylor had to do something for her grandma. Troy and Chad sat down next to each other and Chad kept eyeing Troy.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Am I missing something here?" I asked the two of them.

"Okay Gabriella. I have to say something. I gave Troy the STD." Chad said.

I spit out my water and fainted.

"Gabi? Gabi? C'mon wake up. You're going to be late for school." My mom said. My eyes fluttered open. Well that was a strange dream… It better not be true either. It's going to be a bit creepy.

I got dressed deciding to wear my red v-neck dress with black pumps. I felt like going all out today. I let my hair stay curly and down though. I started to walk out of the door but my mom's voice stopped me.

"Freeze. What are you wearing?" My mom asked me impatiently.

"It's called style, mom." I answered back.

"Well your 'style' shows too much leg."

"That's what my 'style' is." I smiled at my mom and gave her a kiss. "I love you! Bye!"

I walked to school and I saw Troy backed up against a locker by Chad. They weren't too close but close enough for me to get creeped out. Troy laughed at something Chad. I shivered and walked towards them. Troy's eyes automatically averted to me. His jaw dropped and I knew that my job had been done.

"Whoa. You look so hot, Gabi." Troy said.

I winked at him and gave him a peck on his lips. I looked at Chad and his jaw was way wider than it should have been. I glared at him and he closed his mouth.

"Sorry Gabs. My have you transformed from quiet and innocent Gabriella to naughty and mysterious Gabriella. Watch out, guys will be after you." Chad said.

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "I like attention."

I walked away making sure to move my hips. I could sense Troy and Chad looking at my butt.

"Stop staring at my ass." I called out while walking. I heard them laugh as I walked into homeroom. When I walked through the door, half the class stopped talking making the other half stop talking as well (half of the class was the male gender, now you guess which half stopped talking first).

"Yeah?" I said harshly at the class and everyone went back to their previous conversations. I walked to my seat and turned to Sharpay. I smiled at her.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked her sweetly.

"What the hell was that?" Sharpay asked.

"What the hell was what?"

"The thing you just did. You were so rude."

"It's not my fault I have to be rude. It's everyone who looks at me strangely. They got what they deserved."

"I don't know what's wrong with you today but it's not good."

"Oh well." I mumbled to myself although I know she heard me. She groaned and turned away from me. Taylor walked in and sat next to me. I put on a smile and said,

"Hey Tay. What's up?"

"Not much. Chad's being weird with me." I went a bit pale and looked at her.

"How so?"

"I'm not sure. He's just a little distant. It's nothing I can't change with a tube of lipstick and a pout." I laughed at that comment and sighed. Believing dreams was dumb but they do look very lovey-dovey. Wait! What the hell am I saying? Did I just accuse Troy and Chad of being gay? Ugh… I need a nap.

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After homeroom, I walked out: straight back, long stride, big smile, sexy hips. If I was going to be strong for Troy, I wanted to play the part 24/7. I charged out like the true wildcat I was and stopped at my locker to get my Earth Science textbook. Since I kept putting off this class and taking a different science class, I was forced to take it for one semester. Let me tell you, there is nothing fun about rocks and volcanoes. Luckily, Troy had the same problem and had to take Earth Science also. This was perfect since we both had this class first period. I wanted to get any information he had about his you-know-what. We walked to class and talked.

"So, how's life?" I asked.

"It's going." Troy looked at me suspiciously.

"That's good to know." I nodded and looked around.

"Okay, what's up?"

"I made up a palindrome! Rats live on no evil star! How cool is that?" I smiled at him.

"Gabi…"

"I'm just worried about you. You're not filling me in on anything."

"About?"

"You know what." I glared at him.

"Gabs, I definitely have it and I can't do anything about it now. I'm going to have to have to live with it."

"You mean it's not curable!?" I shouted.

"Gabi, shh… it's curable. They said it was. I'll be good as new in one month. I just have to go to the doctors continuously and I'm going to become medicated."

"Anything to get you better."

"Uh… Troy, can I ask you something?" I asked nervously.

"Anything." Troy answered.

"Do you, uh, know who you got it from?" I looked at my trembling hands.

"I have an idea. Chad…" Troy started but I interrupted.

"You're gay! I knew it!" I yelled.

"GABRIELLA! I'm not gay. I wasn't finished. Chad and I were creating a chain this morning of how I could possibly have gotten it from. It strangely came back to him. So, this cheerleader had sex with Chad, who did it with another cheerleader who did it with that cello playing guy who did it with Martha who did it with Ryan who did it with Kelsi who do it with Jason who did it with a cheerleader who did it with me." Troy said and breathed after he was done.

"You're saying that all those people also have STD's?" I asked strangely.

"Oh. I never thought of it like that. I guess I just got it before I fell in love with you." He smiled at me hopefully.

"That doesn't put you off the hook." I said and walked into class.

"Gosh darn it."

"Troy, never say that again."

"Yes, boss." I smiled at him and tried to cover up my frown. He was trying to cheer me up and I was happy that it would be cured soon enough.

"On the bright side, when you're all cured and better, we can celebrate." I winked at him and I could have sworn he swallowed.

"Good morning class. Today our focus is on the shape of the Earth. It's not a perfect sphere as you may all think of it. In fact, it…" I drowned out the sound of Mr. Parkhill and looked at Troy. He was perfect in every way.


	11. New Year's Special

**This chapter is dedicated to ****McSpastic**** and marebear11. They were the ones who got the song title correct. I'm so sorry that it took a while for this chapter to get out but I've been either busy with school, extremely sick (as I am now), or being annoyed by my parents, even though I love '****em**** dearly. This chapter is my tribute to Christmas. It has no song title so please don't tell me you think that '****New Year's Eve Special'**** is from I Don't Dance… ****lol****Anyhoo****, I hope you enjoy this ****New Years****-y chapter.**** Oh… and Happy New Year's too! **

**-****-Bella****—**

_"Gosh darn it."_

_"Troy, never say that again."_

_"Yes, boss." I smiled at him and tried to cover up my frown. He was trying to cheer me up and I was happy that it would be cured soon enough._

_"On the bright side, when you're all cured and better, we can celebrate." I winked at him and I could have sworn he swallowed._

_"Good morning class. Today our focus is on the shape of the Earth. It's not a perfect sphere as you may all think of it. In fact, it…" I drowned out the sound of Mr. __Parkhill__ and looked at Troy. He was perfect in every way._

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

This party is going to be the best party ever. Let me explain a bit. I came to Albuquerque after I spent New Year's with Troy. I've decided that I would host the New Year's Party at my house. My mom was going to a party in New Jersey and the gang could be left all alone. It'd be perfect. Only problem was that I was the one hosting the big celebration. I had to get the room all dolled up. Everyone knows I over dose with the decorations and all. Let's just say, our house was the most decorated house during Christmas. I started putting up yards of silver garland all over the living room. I made it cross over from one corner to the other and put tinsel on the garland that was hanging. I was about to hang up all fifty two snowflakes made until the phone rang.

I got off the couch and went to the phone. I picked up the phone and asked "Hello?"

"Hey Gabs." Taylor said.

"Hi, listen I can't talk…" I started.

"I know, I know. You're OD'ing with decorations right now. I want to know if you need any help."

"That'd be great. You can hang up the fifty two snowflakes I made!"

I heard Taylor groan over the phone. She said, "Why did I even offer? I'll see you in 10 minutes. Bye."

"See you."

Exactly nine minutes and fifty nine seconds later, the doorbell rang. Leave it to Taylor to be precise about everything. I screamed for her to come in and she gasped at what was in front of her.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, sweetheart." I said while digging through the shelves with plates. I'll always be able to find whatever I need. Sometimes, it's in the strangest place, but it'll be there. I found the tooth floss on the top shelf and threw it to Taylor.

"Start hanging the snowflakes on the ceiling with the tooth floss. Make some short and some really long. Spread it all out. When there's no room left, just tape the snowflakes to the wall."

"Wow." Taylor blurted out.

"What? You've seen me throw a party before."

"It never occurred to me you were such a perfectionist! This is like perfectionist on a scale of one to ten and you're way past twenty-two."

"I'm not sure if that was an insult or a joke, but I'm going to guess it was a joke. Now, less talking and more working. Let's get cracking."

"Oh, dear. Good luck taking all these decorations down." Taylor said.

"Eh, I'll pay some little kid on the block to do it for me. They'll do it for ten bucks." I said as if it was nothing to let a poor child suffer by falling off ladders and getting stuck in the tooth floss. Oh well. Things happen.

It was getting late and all decorations were up. Taylor insisted another little prop for the small-ish get-together. As soon as people opened the door, a bucket would fall of confetti and cotton making it look like snow. It was a great idea so we set it all up. There was huge bucket of more confetti and cotton near the door to refill the bucket after someone walked through the door. The doorbell rang and we heard four voices arguing, a high-pitched voice being the loudest.

"Come in!" I yelled from the kitchen. I looked over to see the door opening and everything in the bucket falling. I started laughing hysterically! Too hysterical in fact… the knife I was using to cut the watermelon slipped and slit the back of my hand.

"Ouchie! Ow! Ow! Ow!!" I started yelling.

Kelsi, Jason, Taylor, Sharpay, and Zeke all ran into the kitchen wondering what all the commotion was about. They looked at my hand and saw the blood. Sharpay fell into Zeke's arms at the sight of blood and Taylor grabbed a towel nearby. She brought it to me and put it on my wound. I was so glad to have Taylor. She was the most motherly out of the gang. She led me to the couch and I sat down behind dazzling snowflakes.

"Hey Taylor, did you refill the bucket?" I asked.

"Yes, I did. Now keep adding pressure." She answered.

The doorbell didn't even ring the next time. Chad and Troy came in. The confetti and cotton fell. Chad started screaming like a little girl and then finally stopped. Taylor put her hand on her hip and glared at Chad.

"Hi sweetie." Chad said innocently.

"Hey Troy." I said.

"Hey Gabi, what happened!?" He screamed when he saw the blood seeping through the thick towel.

"You didn't start again, did you!?"

"Troy! Of course I didn't! I did it once because I was stressed. I wasn't planning to do it anymore!"

"Then what happened!?" He screamed again.

"F-Y-I, I was cutting up watermelon and my knife slipped!" Troy calmed down.

"I'm sorry Gabriella. I just can't help but worry. It comes along with the loving boyfriend package." He said innocently. I patted a seat next to me on the couch. When he came over and sat down, I said to him,

"I know you're just worried. You're such a great boyfriend. I'm grateful for it, really. But, please cut down at the screaming. It's really stressing to both of us."

"I promise." I gave her a light peck on the lips and pulled back.

"Does anyone feel like we're suddenly invisible?" Chad asked all of a sudden.

"Yeah… pretty much." Everyone answered.

Troy and I laughed. We got up and he got a wrap around bandage for me out of the medicine cabinet.

"Let's get this party started!" Sharpay screamed after she woke up from her faint. She blasted the music and everyone had such a great time. Taylor refilled the bucket as I wished even though no more guests were supposed to arrive. It was 11:59 and the countdown was beginning. Everyone stood next to their loved ones, me standing next to Troy.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Happy New Year!" Everyone screamed excluding Troy and me. We were off in our own little world, gazing into each other's eyes before we kissed. We lightly pecked and before we got anywhere, we heard the door open and confetti fall. A dirty blonde haired girl entered and looked at all the confetti on her.

"Happy New Year Troy." She said.

Troy whispered something into my ear. "Ex-girlfriend…first love… it's over… before you." That is all I heard but I knew this wasn't too good. Troy and I couldn't get close because of his STD and I was standing right in front of the source.

"You've got to be kidding me!?" I screamed.


End file.
